Michigan Democrat backs Republican Senate rival ahead of US midterms

About 48 hours before the critical US midterm elections, a split has emerged in the Democratic Party. State Representative Haiili Stevens announced on November 1 that she will support Republican Mike Rogers rather than her party's Muslim candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, in Michigan.

Stevens said her Senate vote would go to Rogers because she must stand with the country and cannot stand with hate. She added that she stood with her party and was booed off the stage.

“My vote for Senate will be for Mike Rogers because we have to stand with country. We can't stand with hate.”

The two candidates had previously faced each other in the Democratic primaries to determine who would represent the party in the midterm elections. They were also involved in a public clash over criticism directed at Israel by El-Sayed and his allies.

Stevens said in a video published on social media on Sunday that El-Sayed told her she was no longer welcome on his campaign and should stay away. She stated that he was right and that she now supports Mike Rogers for the US Senate.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump and Republicans are using their economic advantage to launch a feverish final defense, warning of cultural war horrors if support for the Republican Party is defeated at the ballot box. Trump returned to the spotlight on Sunday with rallies in the traditionally safe Republican states of Kansas and Iowa after rescheduling previously canceled events.